Melbourne veteran Nathan Jones says time off is fuelling his desire to play as long as possible
While Nathan Jones is just 14 games from reaching his 300-game milestone, there is some doubt whether he will continue in 2021. He believes time away from the club has helped make up his mind.
Melbourne
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Melbourne veteran Nathan Jones says time away from the club has only fuelled his desire to play on in 2021 if his form warrants a new contact.
Jones, who turned 32 in January, is 14 games away from reaching his 300th match – a milestone he is on track to bring up later this season if the AFL is able to complete its planned 17-round season.
Having missed the Demons’ Round 1 trip to Perth with achilles soreness and not been back to the club since, Jones said it had not been lost ton him that retirement looks like what he has lived in recent weeks.
“This has only given me a hint, particularly at this point in my career, of what it would be like when footy isn’t there anymore,” Jones said.
“I am already missing the routine and the chance to interact with the boys and that connection that you get day-to-day is something that you definitely miss.
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“For a lot of guys, including myself, it’s going to be a blessing in disguise to really appreciate what you’ve got and be grateful for the opportunity that we have and not take it for granted when we get back.
“When I feel I don’t have anything left to offer, that will be the time when I’ll feel ready to retire. Right now I still feel like I’ve got a lot to offer this team and this group.
“I just want to get out there and hopefully prove to myself – which is the main thing – that I’m still capable, which I felt like I did that through my pre-season and my pre-season form.”
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However, staying connected digitally with the rest of the playing group has been a key focus.
“There’s a few little challenges out there and a few little groups, whether that be WhatsApp, Instagram, Zoom – all of these things,” Jones said.
“But we’re also encouraging guys to enjoy the family time.”
Jones joined Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury in throwing his support behind a best-of-three grand final series, saying the current situation has provided the perfect opportunity for the AFL to experiment.
“Some of those things excite me personally,” Jones said.
“I just don’t see why not, really. We haven’t been able to play as many games as we potentially would have and I think anything that can draw interest and draw excitement back to the game (would be a good thing).
“I think any of those options would provide that on a bigger perspective and that’s an important thing to consider. In the end, I think it would be terrific.”